The Rodent Breeding and Colony Management Seminar and Vendor Fair
started when I was a Training Coordinator at the University of
Pennsylvania. The research program was growing and housing space for
rodents was becoming prime real estate, as was in most similar
institutions. One day I happened to be walking through one of the
buildings between training sessions and began an informal conversation
with a research technician. I asked him how his lab was dealing with
the need for more space. He said, “If I managed my colony better, we
would have plenty of space.” I was shocked and started asking other
researchers about their space and colony management practices. I found
the same story over and over again. Things like genotyping too late,
not weaning on time, and other common themes that reflected poor colony
management, and therefore, a lot of wasted space. From then on, I was
determined to provide the tools needed for researchers to manage their
colonies as efficient as possible to save both space and money. We
invited experts in rodent breeding and colony management, and vendors
who provided products or services that could help researchers better
manage their colonies and support their research to our first event in
2003. We invited scientists from outside the institution and it was a
success, for both researchers and vendors. My favorite feedback from a
researcher was, “Thank you for getting all this information all in one
place!” My favorite feedback from a vendor was, “I go to the Bio Fair
where hundreds of people attend, but I get more people stopping at my
table, and more direct leads, at this event.” After I left Penn in
2009, I knew how much time and work it took to coordinate the event, and
how much more training was now being provided by the training group, so
ACTS asked the University of Pennsylvania if we could coordinate the
event for them. They said yes and after that we “took the show on the
road.” Since then, ACTS has hosted two events at Penn, one event at
Baylor College of Medicine, and one event at Mount Sinai. We continue
to get positive feedback from both participants and vendors.

Who We Are

William Singleton, DVM, ACLAM, Dipl.

A board certified laboratory animal veterinarian having over 15 years
experience working in the laboratory animal field. He has over 7 years
experience in the development and implementation of training programs in
the pharmaceutical industry and academic institutions. William is an
active member of the laboratory animal community and professional
organization that promotes the health and well being of research
animals. His strong passion and vision for quality training has been
part of the driving force behind the creation of ACTS.

Paula Clifford, MLA, RLATG, CVT.

Paula Clifford strongly believes in the empowerment of the individual
through knowledge resulting in the highest quality of care and use for
research animals. She has fourteen years experience in the laboratory
animal science industry, the last ten focused on developing,
implementing, providing, and assessing training programs in support of
animal based biomedical research. Paula has a Masters of Liberal Arts
from the University of Pennsylvania. Her graduate work focused primarily
in training program evaluation for animal care and use programs. She
obtained her Bachelors degree from Rutgers College, and an Associate’s
Degree in Applied Science (for Veterinary Technology) from Camden County
College. She is currently a licensed veterinary technician and AALAS
Certified as a Registered Laboratory Animal Technologist. In 2009, she
was recognized for her contributions to training in the laboratory
animal science field at National AALAS by being awarded the Collins
award. She is an active member of many organizations that promote
education.

Our promise is to engulf your work environment in optimism and empower creative thinking, while taking your staff on a journey to achieving their highest potential.